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On this episode of Foodable’s Smart Kitchen and Bar, our master mixologist, Oscar Castaneda, discusses with his co-host, Adrianne Calvo—Author, Celebrity Chef, and Chef/Owner of Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar in Miami, FL—how to build and pair your wine selection with a food menu. The featured wines, Super Tuscan and Cabernet Sauvignon, are from Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant.

When building a wine selection based on your food menu, it’s important to match a flavor profile with a dish that will complement each other. You never want to offer a glass of wine that could be overbearing with its flavor.

“In conversations with my beverage director, I would say, ‘I have a 24-hr braised short rib that has a lot of fat and robust flavors, and I want a glass of wine that is strong enough to hold a candle to the short-rib but is not overwhelming,’” says Chef Adrianne.

As she breaks down the flavor highlights of her samplers (which Oscar tastes eagerly), we learn what reaction it has to the wine. Chef Adrianne guides Oscar’s pairing experience with a slow exercise where he takes a bite, inhales, waits 3 seconds and then takes a sip of wine. Oscar and the consumer can heighten the flavor of any dish by breathing in before tasting.

One of Chef Adrianne’s examples is a jalapeño popper paired with the Super Tuscan. The spice of the jalapeño is toned down with cream cheese, and the flavor of the wine cuts through the fat of the bacon. Similarly, Oscar tries out a couple of corn chips with the Cabernet which may seem odd but pairs fantastically.

“Some places start with tortillas or other flour-based appetizers. This is a great way to show someone that they can start with a glass of wine and pair it with this type of appetizer,” says Oscar.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Paired with:

Fritos Corn Chips

Lay’s® Kettle Cooked Salt & Pepper Flavored Potato Chips

Super Tuscan

Paired with:

Braised short-rib

Jalapeño Popper

Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Bar

Bark Thins Snacking Chocolate Dark Chocolate Almond with Sea Salt

Aged Gouda Cheese

Parmesan

To view this original article by Daniella Caldera-Lozano on foodabletv.com, click here

The Restaurant

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At age 20 I took a trip to Napa Valley that ended up changing the course of my life for the better. I instantly fell in love with the food, the wine, the atmosphere and everything in between. After a few fortuitous experiences and a bit of elbow grease along the way, in 2007 Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar moved from a dream to a reality.

Now, nearly 10 years later, I am reminded on a nightly basis how deeply food can inspire. At Chef Adrianne’s we aim to evoke the same type of ambiance my trip to Napa Valley offered me. The menu is curated with Maximum Flavor in mind as we set out on a daily basis to make sure that each bite, each sip and each experience is as memorable as the last.